The Red Sands
by Lady Mayflower
Summary: When Yugi Mutou assembled the Millenium Puzzle, he had no idea what he was getting into. Now that it's complete, he finds himself thrust into a terrifying world of Shadow Magic that goes back into Egypt's history 5,000 years. A world of...vampires?
1. 5000 Years

_Greetings, YuGiOh! fandom! Name's Mayflower - nice to meetcha! Anyhoo, I know this is my first time venturing into the world of YuGiOh fanfictioning, but this story I'm throwing at you was one I couldn't pass up. Strange Liou and I have been working to clean up her mess of a story, "Night Horrors" (which is now epic, so go check it out :D), which puts an AU vamp-and-werewolf spin on the YGO story that we've all come to know and love. As cool as her story is, though, and as much as I LOVE vampires (that aren't from Twilight, 'cause those don't count), I'm not good with AU universes. Hey, if you're going to make up a brand-new world with all sorts of made-up stuff, why use other characters for your own devilish deeds, right?_

_SO, as a result of all of the madness, a strike of idiocy came down from the skies and inspired me - why not mix vampires AND the canon universe? :D Muahahaha! And so, with that, I bring you my attempt to clash those two totally-unlike ideas and make something amazing to flood your literary senses. This is "The Red Sands"..._

**LAWYERBOT SAYS: TIME FOR COPYRIGHTS! :D  
**The wonderful idea of mixing vampires and YuGiOh characters that inspired this story (c) Strange Liou and her series, "Night Horrors" - again, check it. :D  
The YuGiOh characters (c) Kazuki Takahashi  
Vampires (c) Uhm...Bram Stoker, because he's the man. :D

**LAWYERBOT ALSO SAYS: TIME FOR WARNINGS! :D  
**Warning: Later chapters will include blood, and lots of it. Later chapters may also include swearing and possibly mentions of lusty, "adult implications".  
Current Chapter Warnings: None.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: 5000 YEARS**

Do you believe in those creatures that go bump in the night? Do you believe in dark magic? Do you believe in devils and demons that live amongst us? Do you believe that there are creatures that thrive on diets of human blood? That burn up like kindling in the sunlight? Do you believe in creatures that can survive an onslaught of bullets, but wither when faced with a silver cross?

Do you believe in vampires?

The history of vampires is an expansive one - it travels back five-thousand years, deep into the tombs of ancient Egypt, during the short-lived rule of the Great Nameless Pharaoh, when dark magic and shadow games possessed the land. Stories remain of these powerful sorcerers who manipulated the shadows for their own greed and corruption, summoning creatures that no man has ever seen before.

These stories have faltered through the test of time. These men were not sorcerers - they were vampires.

The magicians of the past sold their souls to obtain the magic that they did, and once stripped of their soul, the magic left a deadly creature in its place. The blood gathered for their supposed "holy sacrifices" was no more than a sinful buffet for the corrupted, who craved the life of mortal man and quickly went mad with hunger if the desire was squandered long enough. Their meetings and competitions were held in elaborate underground arenas, not because the ground was more spiritual, but because it was safer. The burning heat of the Egyptian sun melted through the flesh of these twisted demons like the fire of a candle melting away wax, leaving nothing but a pile of ash and bone to mark the grave. These monsters would never die, never age - though they did avoid priests and holy congregations - anything related to Ra or religious cleanliness would bring these creatures to their knees, likely due to their devilish nature.

Upon discovering the true workings of this demonic cult, the Nameless Pharaoh made the ultimate sacrifice to stop their bloodthirsty reign.

He followed in the footsteps of these monstrosities, becoming the very creature that threatened to destroy his land. Gifted with the vampire's unlimited power over the shadows, mixed with his own blessings from the gods that all Pharaohs had, the Nameless King was able to destroy every vampire left in Egypt...including himself.

Before performing this feat, though, the Nameless Pharaoh had his priests create six mystical items to contain the darkness, making sure none of the vampire's magic would ever poison the earth again, each sculpted of gold, the metal of the gods. By the Pharaoh's will, the items would withstand the tests of time and continue to protect the world from black magic for millenia to come - the Millenium Items. Each was sealed into the Pharaoh's sarcophagous for safe-keeping - the Eye, the Necklace, the Ring, the Rod, the Scales, and the Key. The seventh item was the Pharaoh's own prized possession, which contained more of the magic than the other six items combined. It was his Millenium Puzzle - the golden keepsake he always wore around his neck, closest to his heart. However, this one was not buried with the others. Instead, once the magic was sealed, the Pharaoh had it broken into its separate puzzle pieces and buried far, far away from the others.

The Millenium Items were designed to last for centuries, and they did, though their rest was not as peaceful as the Nameless Pharaoh had predicted. The vampire's tomb was quickly torn apart by graverobbers, and the seven items were strewn across the planet. Fortunately enough, none have been able to access their dark, but infinite powers...

...Until now.

* * *

_Short and sweet, just as every epic Prologue should be, right? :D You guys know what to do, right? Periwinkled-Colored Buttons bring happiness and joy to writers, which bring more updates! :D_


	2. The Final Piece

_Konnichiwa, fans! (Did I spell that right? Probably not. :P) Anyway, I'm back with a new chapter! I must apologize, though - I was away in Baltimore this weekend with my school band, and I had originally meant to post this before I left. You can see how well that plan worked out. But this story's worth the wait, right? :D ...Right?_

_*nervous cough* Yeah. :D; HEY, WHO LIKES REESE'S CUPS? :D Free Reese's Cups for yamiandyugi11, kuroneko1571, sorinia24, and NichtSacred for the reviews - much appreciated! (And I'll throw one out to my little readlet, Strange Liou - she sent me a private review, you all just aren't cool enough to see it. XD)_

_So, enough of that - who's ready to see an update? :D On to chapter two!_

**LAWYERBOT SAYS: "Time for some legal stuff, oh, boy!"  
**WARNING: This chapter contains the occasional swear word, as well as a few moments of potentially-disturbing imagery. Readers beware.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: THE FINAL PIECE**

Just when all seemed lost, life was worth living again. Stumbling as he tried to take the stairs two at a time, Yugi Mutou clamored up to his bedroom, tightly clutching a little scrap of gold in his hand. Just moments ago, his heart was shattered when he realized that the puzzle he had been working to complete for so many years was missing the centerpiece - he had searched everywhere, and it was nowhere to be found.

Then, right when he was about to smash his progress and give up for good, his grandfather stopped him and told him that a friend of his had just dropped something off - and lo and behold, there was his missing puzzle piece!

For the life or death of him, Yugi couldn't figure out who could have returned the missing piece, but he could always show gratitude the next day at school - at the moment, the only thing on his mind was FINALLY finishing his puzzle.

The spike-haired youth sat down at his desk once more, sitting and admiring the sparkling treasure that laid before him. The Millenium Puzzle (at least, that's what Grandpa Mutou said the box read - it was enscribed with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics that Yugi could never make heads or tails of) was a golden relic from ancient times. It was built in the shape of an upside-down pyramid, with a loop-piece at the top so it could be stringed and worn around the neck, and a sunburst hole in the dead center of what could be assumed to be the front panel.

Then there was the piece that was just returned to him. It was the exact same sunburst pattern, decorated with a large wadjet eye exactly like the one that was on the top of the box that held the pieces. The final piece - after eight years of failure, it all came down to this one last piece.

Still...now that the moment was so close, nerves began to seize his fingers as he toyed with the centerpiece. His grandfather had been warning him ever since he found the puzzle in the depths of the Game Shop to be wary of the artifact...

_"You know the archaeologists who raided that tomb all DIED, right, Yugi? They went mad, clamored out of the tomb screaming about living corpses! Blood spewed from their eyes, they tried to eat each other alive as they clawed to escape! And the only thing to make it out of that expedition was that little gold box, and that little gold puzzle that they say hasn't been complete in nearly five-thousand years..."_

Ugh. Then again, if Grandpa Mutou was known for anything, he was a master at telling stories, and he loved giving Yugi a good scare every now and again. This little puzzle couldn't have caused THAT much trouble...

...Right?

With a breath of preparation, Yugi lined up the centerpiece and slid the final part into place.

- - x - x - -

Joey Wheeler sighed as he made his way back down the dim Domino City streets, flipping his plastered-wet bangs out of his face. What was he thinking? Yugi was a twerp - no friends, bad at sports, sat around doing puzzles all day - why did he care? He was Joey Wheeler, bad boy of Domino High - any other day, he would have beaten up little Mutou for lunch money without looking back.

So he threw that piece of Yugi's puzzle out the window - why did he go through all of the work of giving it back?

He couldn't help but think back to Yugi sticking up to Ushio - could the two of them really be...friends?

"Man, what am I thinkin'?" the blond laughed. The great Joey Wheeler, friends with that twerp? Please. Joey was a man of the world, always having somewhere to go, something to do, and some girl to pick up - any "friend" of his needed to be a hard-core adventurer. What was he going to do with little Yugi Mutou?

_CRASH!_

Joey jumped as the ear-shattering smash of breaking glass assaulted his ears, and he turned back to find a swirl of dark shadows merging right outside of the Game Shop he was just walking away from. (Sure, breaking and entering was common enough in some parts of the city, but swirling clouds of darkness? Little on the conspicuous and suspicious side.)

Curiousity driving the cat to its grave, Joey couldn't help but run back towards the Shop to see what the disturbance was. Right as he came up to the store front, the neon sign up above the main doors fizzled out, drowning the block in eerie darkness. "Man, what the--?"

A scream shot out from across the empty streets. Turning to look, Joey's jaw dropped as his brain struggled to comprehend the scene that his eyes were witnessing. The victim was a young woman, nothing surprising there - one of the many nameless beauties scattered throughout the city, pinned to the ground, totally immobilized out of pain and terror and helpless in the hands of her attacker.

...Then there was her attacker. Not particularly tall or bulky like your usual attacker, with his stature off-set by his black spiked hair with red and blonde streaks shot throughout. He was robed in an old black shirt with tight, dark denim jeans - both clearly disguising the splashes of blood that were beginning to coat the scene. His nails were tightly dug into his victim's arm, streaks of red dripping from the wounds they were inflicting, and his mouth was clamped over the main vein in her wrist - as disgusting as it sounded, he was _drinking _her blood.

For a few seconds, Joey was glued to his spot as he tried to process what he was seeing. Eventually, though, bad boy Joey came back into the game, and the courageous blond moved into action. "Hey, freakazoid, get'cher filthy paws away from her!" he shouted, rushing towards the scene.

The attacker heard Joey coming, though, and by the time the young blond got close enough to do anything, he and the young lady vanished into the shadows, leaving only a few sparse stains of blood on the street to leave any hint they were there.

Joey was BEYOND confused. Glass exploding? Lights breaking? Guys drinking girls' blood, then disappearing into thin air? What was going on?

Suddenly, there was the gentle click of footsteps from the nearby alleyway. Wheeler looked up upon hearing it, and there was the attacker, watching him, waiting to see what he would do next. His face was hidden by the darkness, but Joey managed to make out the glint of a golden pyramid hanging around his neck.

"A'right, listen here, buddy!" the Brooklyn blond snapped. "What's yer deal, man? How the hell you doin' all d'is? And what the hell was up with--?"

"You'll receive your answers when the time is right, Joey."

The answer threw Joey off for a second (he wasn't exactly expecting one, especially one so calm and quiet), and that second was all the mysterious...whatever-it-was to vanish into the darkness once more.

Suddenly snapping back into a mode of panic, Joey searched the alleyway high and low for any trace of what happened or where the attacker went, but after a long search, there was nothing. He was just...gone.

"Man, definitely rack that up as one of the weirdest moments of my life," the blond sighed, slowly making his way home once more. What was that all about? Just what WAS that thing? How did it know his name?

And why did that thing around its neck look just like the piece of Yugi's puzzle he had just returned?

**

* * *

**

_Again, really sorry this was delayed a couple of days - I'm out again this weekend, so I'll try REALLY hard to get another chapter up by Thursday! Until next time, my lovely readers!_

_**§ Tucker's Mayflower, signing off! §**_


	3. The Last Vampire

_Okay, so I know I SAID I was going to post before leaving for Cinci this past weekend, and...well, that didn't work. :P Sorry! :D; But hey, chapter three's here now, everyone rejoice with exceeding great joy!_

_So, this is the part of the Authoress' Notes where I pass out free assorted candies to my reviewers. HOWEVER, I didn't get any new ones yet. :( You know what makes Mayflowers happy and makes them post more? Reviews. :D Even if you think the story sucks, let me have it, I don't care. (Okay, I DO care - it's not nice to come right out and say, "OMG!1! TH1Z STORY SUXX!1 U SUX!1! N00b13!11!". Plus, it should physically hurt you to write like that, so please save everyone the eye-bleeding drama.)_

_Okay, so introductory crap over with - onto chapter three!_

**LAWYERBOT SAYS: ...Man. :(  
**Sorry, kiddies - nothing wrong with this chapter! Read away! :D

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE: THE LAST VAMPIRE**

_My heart, my mother_

_My heart, my mother_

_My heart, my coming into being! _

_May there be nothing to resist me at judgment;_

_May there be no opposition to me from the Tchatcha;_

_May there be no parting of thee from me in the presence of him who keepeth the scales!_

_Thou art my ka within my body, knitteth and strengtheneth my limbs._

_Mayest thou come forth to the place of happiness to which I am advancing._

_May the Shenit not cause my name to stink,_

_And may no lies be spoken against me in the presence of the god!_

_Good it is for thee-_

Seto's chants were cut short when a small candle in the corner of his chamber suddenly sparked to life. In the corner of this underground ritual room was a shrine, one carved to mimic the pharaoh's sacred puzzle, and atop this shrine was a single candle that hadn't seen flame in nearly five millenia.

Yet there it was - the little yellow spark dancing upon its perch, flickering light and shadow across the hieroglyphs and murals on the wall behind it.

Seto couldn't help but smirk. _'It took you long enough, dear cousin.' _His Sennen Light was enchanted only to burn when the King of Vampires had returned to the living plane - and with everything that he had been sensing, he knew that the time was close at hand. The night pulsated with evils, like a vampire takeover loomed around every corner.

Not that Seto was bothered - fear becomes little more than the ideals of the mortal and weak after five-thousand years. If he managed to escape the pharaoh's vampire purge in the days of ancient Egypt, he was CERTAINLY powerful enough to conquer anything the modern world had to throw at him.

Speaking of the modern world, it was time the dark priest returned to it. The brunette sighed as he removed his headdress and began to disrobe. He enjoyed his nightly ventures into his private ritual chamber - it was his time to pray, to meditate, to bathe in his ancient robes, to put the daily stresses of his persona behind him...but his visits needed to remain short, for fear of attracting attention from his staff.

And so, after a quick change into his more-usual black ensemble with sharp white trenchcoat, Priest Seto of the Egyptian sanguivores became Seto Kaiba, worldwide mogul of the gaming market and multibillionare. An exhausting life to live, but "eccentric billionaire" was the only way to protect his privacy...and his secret. Seeing the coast was clear, he casually walked into the main corridor, using a touch of Shadow magic to blend the door to his chamber back into the wall, hiding it until his next visit.

Seto's long wait for his cousin's return was finally over - now came the hard part. Where did he go from here? Should he seek out his fallen cousin? Or the one who completed the Millenium Puzzle? And what of the evil forces that came closer and closer with each nightfall?

With an irritated sigh, he entered his private study and sat at his desk, looking out at the Domino cityscape below. He would have to see what had become of the King of Vampires, that was a priority. He had no idea what else was waiting for him, so he decided to take a gamble of the devil he thought he knew.

"Aniki? Is something wrong?"

Seto gave one of his rare smiles. "Come in, Mokuba."

Being alive five-thousand years, there's always the occasional mortal who finds out more than they should and discovers the existance of vampires. Ninety-nine percent of the time, these people die - it's simply too risky to keep them around. But then there was little Mokuba, an orphan child who accidently discovered a freezer of blood when he broke into the Kaiba mansion, looking for food. Luckily, Seto interuppted the burglary before the rest of his staff saw the refrigerator, but Mokuba had seen too much. And yet, when Seto went to snap his neck...he simply couldn't do it. Mokuba was too young, too innocent to suffer such an untimely demise.

So the next day, Seto adopted himself a new little brother. Mokuba had proven plenty trustworthy, as well as good company - he loved Seto's stories of the past, and he was becoming a gamesmaster almost as strategic as the age-old priest himself.

Mokuba came over, and Seto placed the orphan child on his lap. The contrasts in their appearances was almost comical. Seto was tall and bronzed from his many years in the Egyptian sun, with hardened sapphire eyes and thin, streamlined brunette hair. Mokuba, on the other hand, was still pale and fragile from his years of suffering in the orphanage, with wide turquoise eyes hidden under an impenetrable mop of black frizz. And yet, they shared a very special brotherly bond, despite the differences between them.

"Aniki, you've been acting weird lately," Mokuba pointed out with a pout - he hated being left out of his older brother's plans. "What's goin' on?"

Seto affectionately ruffled up his adopted brother's hair. "I'm sorry, Mokuba - things have just been taking up my attention lately."

Mokuba's eyes lit up. "You mean like..._vampire things_?" he hissed, clearly excited but trying his best to keep the "v-word" quiet.

Seto nodded, chuckling a bit at Mokuba's naïvity. "This time, yes, it is."

"Whoa! So cool! Like what?"

"Well, do you remember when I explained everything to you the first time, and I told you that I'm the only vampire left?"

"Yeah - what about it?"

Seto's eyes turned back to the pitch-black of the nighttime Domino streets outside. "I lied."

* * *

_So in case anyone's dying to know, the prayer from the beginning is the translation of Plate III from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. So now Kaiba and Mokuba are thrown into the mix - what other beloved YuGiOh! characters will make a dramatic entrance? And what of our heroes? Do YOU know what happens next? Of course not! :D Stay tuned (and drop a review) to find out!_

**§ Tucker's Mayflower, signing off! §**


	4. Suspicions

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **Hola, my darlings! Did you miss me? Of course you did, I've brainwashed you all with my story. :D J/K, J/K...just go back to sleep, my darlings...Sleep and pretend none of this happened...

Okay, in all seriousness - WHO'S READY FOR A NEW CHAPTER? That's right, after a long summer of graduation, graduation parties, college orientation, and all of that stuff that comes with finishing high school, Strange Liou finally inspired me to take a little time and throw up the next chapter of TRS. Thank God for writing, seriously - I've barely had time all summer, I missed it so. T~T (However, this FFN engine I did NOT miss - you all can't tell, but this is the third time I've had to type my author's notes because of the document editor sending me back to my homepage assortedly before I think to save anything. :[)

Anyway, before I get on to the chapter; I mentioned at the beginning of the last chapter that I haven't been recieving reviews, and you all took pity on me and started reviewing! Yay, pity! D So, here are some fun pity treats for CrimsonZero, DesecratedPharaoh, Gweniveve Skyes, Here Forever, bran626, and of course, my darling little Strange Liou, without whom none of this would be possible. I love all of you, thanks so much! 3 And thanks to all of the people who faved and watched this story - if you don't leave a review, I really can't keep track of your names, but thanks for caring anyway! D

*sigh* Alright, got all of that out of the way - on with the show!

**LAWYERBOT SAYS: I PWN ALL UR BASE, LOLZ, ROFLCOPTER  
**Warning, the following chapter contains some swearing and a light dusting of "graphic imagery" dust - younger viewers beware!

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: SUSPICIONS**

Everything still appeared to be the same as yesterday. His hair was still that ridiculous mess of black, blond, and red spikes, his stature still small and weak-looking. Wait - did his eyes flash red for a moment? No, just a trick of the light - they were still the same bright amethyst as usual. His teeth flashed in a smile as he placed another puzzle piece, but still no fangs. But that necklace of his...

"Hey, Joey!"

The young blond spastically jumped from his seat, crashing to the floor for the entire classroom to see and laugh at. "Tristan, you dumb-ass, what the hell was that fer?"

The brunette had to snicker as he pulled up a desk and sat down - sure, Tristan Taylor and Joey Wheeler had been best friends since they were kids, but that didn't mean they could ever give up an opportunity to make the other look like an idiot. "Hey, I didn't do nothin' - you're the one who was zoning out on me."

Joey got up, rubbing the tender spot on the back of his head where he had impacted the harsh tile floor. "I was?"

"Yeah, you were," Tristan repeated. "What the hell were you starin' at, anyway?"

Joey glanced over once more at little Yugi Mutou, who had already gone back to working on his daily puzzle. "Let's just say you wouldn't believe me if I told ya."

Tristan shrugged - after so many years, he had finally learned not to question some of the things Joey did. "Alright, whatever, dude. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Joey said with a stretch before sinking into his seat. "Long night, that's all - wait until history class, I'll get a little shut-eye and be on top'a things again."

"Leave it to Joey Wheeler to plot a little in-school nap time first thing in the morning," Tristan snickered before heading off to resume the rest of his day. "Hey, watch yourself today, 'kay, man?"

"Got it." With a tired sigh, the young blond buried his face in his arms. Maybe he was just tired. Maybe he was brain-fried from his fight with Ushio. Maybe that whole...whatever that was that attacked was just a fluke, or maybe he imagined the whole thing. Really, did he HONESTLY think that little Yugi, of all people, could pull off being a-

"Vampire!"

Like most of the class, Joey had to look up when Aria, Ushio's girlfriend, let her little outburst out a bit too loud.

"What're you goin' on about, Aria?" one of the boys called.

"I'm talking about what happened to Ushio last night!" she cried. "The police found him this morning, and he was all cold and pale and he had these two killer bite-marks in his neck - they think it's some kind of new serial killer that might be on the loose, but it SOO looked like a vampire attack! Talk about creepy, right?"

"Whoa, is Ushio okay?" one of Aria's girlfriends asked.

"They don't know," Aria pouted. "I mean, his mom told me that he's, like, alive with a heartbeat and breathing and everything, but he's still totally comatose - I hope he gets better soon."

Unable to help himself, Joey had to look back at Yugi. Obviously, he looked pretty thrown - Ushio was a bully, but he was still a person, so you still have to feel bad when these things happen. Still, there wasn't anything else - no panic, no guilt, no "I did it" face, no nothing.

The paranoia was driving him insane! Finally, once Aria got to her seat and the buzz over Ushio calmed down, Joey got up and headed over to Yugi's puzzle table in the back of the room. "Hey, Yuge, could I have a word wit'cha out in the hall? In private?"

Yugi was momentarily at a loss for words - why in the world would Joey need to talk to HIM? Still, it'd be rude to decline. "Alright."

The two headed out, and Joey led his little suspect into an empty classroom, just to make sure they wouldn't be overheard. "So what's up, Joey?"

"Totally weird what happened to Ushio, ain't it, Yugi?" Joey casually started, trying to be as delicate as he could to pry the information out of him.

"Yeah, definitely - I hope he gets better soon," Yugi lamented. "But you know how Aria loves blowing stuff out of proportions. Seriously, you buy that whole vampire bit?"

Joey stammered a bit - not quite the reaction he was hoping for. "Ah, I dunno about vampires 'n voodoo 'n whatever." Time to turn the conversation around. "Yer one of d'em readin'-types, though, Yuge - you believe in vampires?"

Yugi stifled a laugh. "No! What kind of fantasy nerd do you think I am? All of that vampires and magic stuff are just stories, that's all."

Again, not the reaction the Brooklyn blond was hoping for. "Yeah, stories, seriously," he laughed awkwardly, once again forcing his paranoia to put the idea of Yugi being a vampire to rest. "You know what? Forget it, I gotta get back to not bein' in class - I'll catch you later, Yuge."

"Hey, Joey?"

Joey's attempt at an unawkward exit was foiled by Yugi catching him at the door. "What?"

"Uhm..." Yugi bit his lip slightly, trying to ask as un-creepily as possible. "Were you, uh...Did you come by and drop off something at my house last night? Like, I don't know...a little gold puzzle piece?"

Joey turned back around at that - how in the world did Yugi know? "Who told ya?"

Yugi shrugged sheepishly. "Lucky guess? You and Tristan WERE messing around with my puzzle box earlier that day."

"Yeah, so what if it was me?" Joey asked uncaringly.

"Well, I just wanted to say thanks, that's all. I've been working on my Millenium Puzzle for eight years now - if you didn't return that piece, I would have NEVER finished it."

What with all of the stuff that happened since, Joey was starting to regret his moment of good will. "Yeah, yeah, whatever - just so you know that this don't make us friends or nothin'."

Yugi's smiled dropped slightly. "Y-Yeah, of course not - still, thanks."

The young puzzlemaster sighed when Joey left the room, enjoying the solitude for a few moments. "I should have expected that much - of course Joey would never want to be friends with me."

_Then again, don't be so quick to think that - he could still come around._

Yugi jumped when the soft voice echoed in the back of his mind. It wasn't the first time he heard it - it came to him earlier in the day, telling him to thank Joey for returning the puzzle piece when he still had no idea who it was, and it was right. Still, mysterious voices in the back of your head are rarely a good sign.

"Alright, that's it, who's there?" Yugi asked, taking advantage of the lonely classroom to argue with his own psychosis. "Come on, I hear you - show yourself or tell me who you are, SOMETHING!"

Only silence answered him.

Yugi couldn't help but shudder. A late-night blackout, blood on his face and clothes when he awoke in the morning, a mysterious voice in the back of his mind, Ushio's disappearance, Joey's random suspicion...

_'That's it - next time Grandpa tells me something's cursed, I'm listening to him.'_

* * *

**Author's Notes: **And so the plot thickens! Will Joey ever find out Yugi's secret? Will Yugi ever find out? How does Seto fit into this mess? What is the great foreboding evil? Will enough of you demand me to kill Aria off to add more drama and suspence? (Or to just be rid of more useless OCs in the world of YuGiOh?) There's only one way to find out - review and review until I get kicked in the pants to write, and tune in next time on YuGiOh!: The Red Sands!

**§ TUCKER'S MAYFLOWER, SIGNING OFF! §**


End file.
